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Sure, there are many reasons to leave a job that is making you
unhappy or not meeting your needs, if you have the right safety
net in place to actually make the leap. If you don't, you might
be condemning yourself to yet another unfulfilling job or
prolonged, unproductive periods. Before you jump ship at your
current job, it's important to line up your prospects and your
backup plans.

Make a budget. Think like an entrepreneur
making a new business plan. Examine your current assets and draft
budgets for several scenarios, such as extended periods of
unemployment, part-time employment and landing your dream
job.

There are a myriad of income possibilities in your future. While
you might be crossing your fingers on a reliable source of full
time income, that might not happen right away. You should be able
to handle your living expenses even if you're
surviving on little to no income right away.

Examine your emergency savings and investments to see how far
you'll be able to stretch your budget across these scenarios. If
you can't sustain yourself for several months on no
additional income once you leave your job, then you should
seriously consider saving for a bit longer.

Prepare for loss of benefits. If you
haven't been taking advantage of your employer's benefits, now is
the time to take inventory. The idea is to use them before you
lose them. Stop neglecting your periodic appointments. Schedule a
routine dental cleaning and a physical before making a major
career transition. Learn about the costs of COBRA or state health care plans
early, so that you can budget for these expenses.

If you relied on a bus or train pass provided from your
workplace, find out when those transit benefits will cease.
You'll need to account for new mobility expenses in your budget.

Check into your stock benefits, including when the
current stock purchasing cycle end. It might be worth it to stick
around at your current job for a few extra days or weeks so that
you're eligible to purchase more stock. As for other perks, if
your current employer provides you with free or discounted
products or services, consider accessing these perks before you
leave the company.

Exchange contact information. Before you
leave your current employer, collect the personal contact
information of trusted colleagues and friends. This will help you
build your professional network. You never know when the skill
sets of these individuals will come in handy during your upcoming
career explorations.

Making a major career change is an exciting, yet
nerve-wracking, process. Before you take the plunge, be ready to
handle expenses during this transitional period. Examine your
current benefits package so that you can take advantage of
eligibility before you leave and adjust to pending costs, such as
increased insurance fees. Taking these important preparatory
measures will give you greater security to leave your job
and pursue new opportunities.